Driving mechanism.



C. A. CURTIS.

DRIVING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION mm on. 11, me.

Patented June 19, 1917.

E Q2 15 26 9 55 .30 U. I Z9 6 CYRUS A. CURTIS, OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN.

DRIVING- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 19, 191?.

Application filed October 11, 1916. Serial No. 125,019.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CYRUS A. CURTIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Benton Harbor, in the county of Berrien, State of Michigan; have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanisms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to driving mechanisms and has particular reference to driving mechanisms for washing machines.

The primary object of the invention is to rovide an improved and simplified crank drive'for washing machines, whereby rotary motion is converted into reciprocating motion.

It is also an object to provide in connection with the improved driving mechanism above mentioned a clutch for throwing the crank drive into and out of driving connection. In those power driven washing machines which are known to me, and par ticularly those in which the wringer is mounted upon the washing machine and is also power driven, the driving mechanism has been comparatively complicated and consists of so many parts which are subject to wear that constant difiiculty is being experienced because of necessary repairs and renewal of parts. It is intended, therefore,

in this invention to obviate this necessity to the greatest possible extent, and to construct those parts which go into the improved mechanism of such character that there is.

comparatively little wear so that renewal of parts is necessary only at infrequent intervals.

With the above objects in view and such other objects relating to the details of con- .struction as may hereinafter appear, my invention will now be fully set forth and described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a washing chine frame.

chine looking at the rear side thereof, the

frame including a back board 2; This back 10 which is mounted on the machine frame and is directly connected to a motor 11, the latter being carried upon the lower transversebeam 12, also mounted upon the ma- Secured to the back board 2 by means of bolts 13 passed within a widened flange is the bearing 14. The bearing 14 has a tubular element 15 which eX- tends through the back board 2 and provides a bearing for a connecting shaft 16 whose inner end is provided with a cross head 17 the latter being adapted to fit within a suitable socket upon the rock shaft of the washing machine. The outer end of the connecting shaft or stud 16 is provided with a reduced portion upon which is loosely mount ed the crank arm 18 whose free end is connected with the drive gear 8 by means of a pitman 19, the latter having its upper end mounted upon the crank pin 20.

Interposed between the outer end of the bearing 14' and the inner face of the crank arm 18 is a slidable clutch sleeve 21, which is externally grooved to receive the shipper 22. Below the clutch sleeve 21 the shaft 16 is provided with the longitudinal grooves 23 within which are slidably mounted the clutch pins 24. The inner surface of the sleeve 21 is annularly grooved as at 25 to receive the heads 26 of the clutch pins 24. Thus, the pins are continually connected to the sleeve 21, in order to be longitudinally shipped,- but are free to rotate with the shaft 16. The inner bearing surface of the crank arm 18 is longitudinally recessed to register at intervals with the grooves 23, so that the free ends of the pins 24 may be engaged therewith to lock the crank arm to the shank 16. The shipper 22 is provided with a vertical stud 26 upon which is pivoted one end of a clutch lever 27, the intermediate portion of the lever being mounted upon a bracket 28 secured to the back board 2 and the outer end of the lever being provided with a hand grip 29. A slotted guide bracket provides a means for limiting the movement of the hand lever and setting the latter in clutched or unclutched position,

It is obvious that when the motor 11 is started, the crank arm 18 is actuated through the medium of the worm-driven gear 8 and the pitman 19, the crank arm having a constant reciprocating action as long as the motor is being driven. In order to connect the crank arm with the connecting shaft 16,

the lever 2'1 is actuated to throw the clutch sleeve 21 forward to bring the pins 24 into tively simple construction so that there is little chance for wear or breakage.

While the mechanism has been described as initially adapted for use upon washing machines it is designed that the drive may be employed on any other machines or apparatuses where it is necessary to convert rotary into reciprocating motion.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination with a drive shaft and a driven shaft, a drive gear actuated by the drive shaft, a crank arm loosely mounted upon the driven shaft, a pitman connecting said drive gear and said crank arm, and a clutch mounted upon the driven shaft for a locking the crank arm tothe latter.

' 2. The combination with a driving shaft and a driven shaft, of a drive gear'actuated by the drive shaft, a crank arm loosely mounted upon the driven shaft, a pitman connecting said drive gear and said crank arm, a clutch sleeve slidable upon the driven shaft, key pins actuated by said clutch sleeve 

